


In The Cards

by kiite



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: AU where no one gets uncarded, Angst, Leo Akaba is mentioned for like a sec, M/M, Shinji copes badly, Where are the kids in this AU? We just don’t know, arc v spoilers, moderate sexual content in like the first three paragraphs only
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-13 23:50:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16028570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiite/pseuds/kiite
Summary: After the war, Neo Domino recovers. Shinji does not.





	In The Cards

“A-ah, I’m c-close,” Shinji breathed shakily, tension mounting in his body. The hands on his body felt like fire, contrasting the unnatural chilliness of the sheets beneath him. As he felt his climax nearing, Shinji closed his eyes and tilted his head back into the pillow, letting himself melt into the feeling. “Croooow…” he moaned quietly as he came, his body relaxing into the bed once he finished.

Shinji stayed like that for a few moments, eyes closed and breathing heavy as he came down from his orgasm. He was jolted back to reality by the sudden emptiness inside him. Sitting up, he opened his eyes and looked at his partner.

Jack had taken a step back from the bed, looking at Shinji with wide eyes. Shinji could see hurt and something akin to fear in his deep purple gaze, and all at once he realized what he had said. Shinji slapped a hand over his mouth in horror, as though it would help him take back what he had said, and he scrambled to make his way over to the other man. “Fuck, Jack, I’m sorry, I--I didn’t mean to--I just--” Shinji stammered, his words getting tangled as they left his mouth.

By the time Shinji started to move towards him, Jack had already pulled up his boxers and turned away. He left the room briskly, not saying a word to Shinji as he went. Shinji noted that Jack hadn’t actually come yet, but he figured that wasn’t really a concern anymore; there was no way he was still hard after Shinji had so majorly killed the mood.

The purple haired man allowed himself a moment of shame, covering his face with his hands, before locating and pulling up his own boxers. He followed Jack out of the bedroom, quickly spotting the man sitting at the kitchen table. As he approached, he tried to figure out what he should say, how to apologize; all his thoughts died away when he noticed what Jack was holding. 

“I think you should get rid of this.” Jack said, his voice devoid of emotion. He was looking down at his hand, rather than at Shinji.

Shinji reacted immediately, taking a step forward. “No.” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. He made a move to grab at the object, but Jack was faster, rising to his feet and stepping backwards.

“For Christ’s sake, Shinji!” Jack exclaimed, finally looking Shinji in the eyes. He was angry and desperate. “It’s been three years. Three  _ fucking  _ years. Akaba’s dead, his team’s missing, the machine’s broken, and… It’s over. He’s not coming back. He’s gone, Shinji. Gone.” Jack stopped to breathe, drawing shaky breaths. “Just… Just tear it up, Shi--”

Jack was cut off by Shinji’s fist connecting with the side of his face, sending him sprawling to the ground. Shinji grabbed the object as it fell, holding it protectively to his chest. “Shut the fuck up!” he shouted at Jack, tears beginning to form at the corners of his eyes. “He’s not dead! He’s right here! I just--I just have to find a way to get him out.” Shinji’s voice wavered as he went on, his tears threatening to overtake him. “I’m not going to fucking kill him, asshole.”

Jack rose to his feet slowly, holding a hand to his face where Shinji had punched him. He drew up to his full height, a good head taller than Shinji, and stared down at the man, his expression unreadable. Shinji glared back at him with a furious, defensive, teary-eyed look, hands still at his chest. After a few moments of intense staredown, Jack sighed and shook his head, moving past Shinji towards the door. He gathered his clothes and redressed, preparing to leave.

“I’m not going to come over anymore.” Jack said quietly. He sounded tired, more exhausted than Shinji had heard him in a while. “Whatever  _ this  _ was, this-- _ arrangement _ , it’s not working. You’re clearly still in love with him, in every respect. There’s no place for me here, in your home or your bed.” He turned back to Shinji, who was stunned into silence by just how sad the former Duel King looked.

“Don’t make me out to be some heartless villain, either. You don’t know what it was like, arriving at that damned place only to be told that I was just a little too late.” Jack said, not quite looking at Shinji. “I--I still feel like I could’ve saved him, Shinji, somehow, if I had been faster… And then, having to come back without him, back to those kids who’d asked me to watch out for him, and having to tell them I failed, that I couldn’t do it…” He took a deep breath, trying to keep himself under control. “It was bad, Shinji. I wasn’t there. I should’ve been there, but I wasn’t. And I’ll never forgive myself for that. But I’ve accepted he’s not coming back to absolve me of my guilt; it’s a burden I’m going to carry for the rest of my life. I think you should at least consider a life without him, rather than standing still like you have been these past three years.”

Turning the knob, Jack opened the front door for what would likely be the last time. “Goodbye, Shinji.” he said quietly, with no malice, but no softness either. He stepped out into the dark night, closing the door behind him and leaving Shinji alone. Defeated, the duelist slumped down in one of the chairs and stared at the item in his hands.

“Please, Crow, tell me what to do. I don’t know what to do anymore.” Shinji cried, no longer holding back his tears. “I need you.”

As always, the card had no answer.


End file.
